Deep freeze to invade central, eastern US this week

By Renee Duff , AccuWeather meteorologist

December 12,2016, 1:24:25AM,EST

 

 

Piercing cold will send temperatures tumbling to dangerous levels for some across the central and eastern United States this week.
The impending cold shot threatens to be the most far-reaching and bone-chilling blast so far this season.
“After the first true cold shot of the year this past week, much of the northern Plains can expect a more formidable shot of arctic air again this upcoming week,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Max Vido said.
“Temperatures from the northern and central Plains to much of the Midwest are likely to be 5 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit lower, on average, when compared to levels this past week,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

The core of the cold will grip the North Central states on Tuesday, before reaching the Northeast, including the Interstate-95 corridor, on Thursday.
Fargo, North Dakota; Minneapolis; Chicago; and Madison, Wisconsin, are a handful of the cities that will bear the brunt of the frigid conditions.
High temperatures will be in the single digits to slightly below zero for multiple days from the Dakotas through Minnesota and Wisconsin. Highs during this past week’s cold outbreak were in the teens and lower 20s in these same areas.

Highs in Chicago may not reach 10 degrees Fahrenheit by Thursday.
“Temperatures this low are 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit below average,” Vido said.
Low temperatures in the Midwest will plummet well below zero for most beginning as early as Monday night.
“This will be dangerous early season cold with AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures near or below zero during the day,” Vido said. “At night, RealFeel Temperatures will plummet over 10 degrees below zero throughout the region.”
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The cold will be severe enough to bring the risk of frostbite or hypothermia to those spending time outdoors without proper clothing.
Residents should ensure pets have proper shelter and limit their furry friend’s exposure outdoors. Vehicles may need to be inspected for problems that can arise during extreme cold and residents should ensure that an emergency preparedness kit is handy in case of a break down on the highway.
The bitter chill will spill eastward as the week progresses.
Widespread highs in the teens are in store across the interior Northeast on Thursday, while the freezing mark may not be reached from Boston to Washington, D.C.
While the cold may be shocking for some this early in the season, records are not expected to be broken for a majority of the region.
Some of the chill, while not as extreme, will reach part of the South.
On Thursday, temperatures from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Nashville and Atlanta will be a few degrees lower when compared to the lowest point reached this past week. However, the cooler air does not appear likely to reach areas as far south as Tampa and Orlando, Florida.
Another cold blast may follow across the northern tier of the country during the third week of December.